System and method for reducing driving risk with hindsight

ABSTRACT

A system and method for computer assisted event based reconstruction and forensic analysis of vehicle accidents is provided. The system comprises an event capture device that records audio, video, and other information that collectively comprise one or more events related to a vehicle accident. The event data, including the audio, video, and other related information, is provided to an evaluation server where it is stored in a database for forensic analysis of the events comprising the vehicle accident. Event data for a specific automobile accident event is analyzed and compared to similar types of automobile accident event data in order to forensically analyze the specific event and correlate causal relationships with key elements of the event data to determine the likely cause of the accident or the factors contributing to the accident. Correlation information is also stored at the evaluation server to provide historical data points about causal relationships and key elements.

BACKGROUND 1. Field of the Invention

The present invention generally relates to computer assisted forensicanalysis of vehicle accidents and more specifically relates to eventbased reconstruction and review of vehicle accidents to facilitateforensic analysis.

2. Related Art

Conventional systems for conducting forensic analysis of vehicleaccidents are necessarily after the fact reconstructions based oninformed guesswork after a costly and detailed review of an accidentscene. Additionally, analysis of the data produced by thesereconstructions is extremely time consuming and expensive, requires aspecific skill set developed over significant time, and in the endresults in conclusions based on circumstantial evidence gathered afterthe accident took place. Accordingly, what is needed is an efficientsystem and method for capturing environmental data leading up, during,and after a vehicle accident to facilitate the forensic analysis of thevehicle accident with relevant real time information.

SUMMARY

The present invention provides a system and method for computer assistedevent based reconstruction and forensic analysis of vehicle accidents.The system comprises an event capture device that records audio, video,and other information that collectively comprise an event. The eventdata, including the audio, video, and other related information, isprovided to an evaluation server where it is stored in a database forstorage and later forensic analysis of the events comprising the vehicleaccident.

In one embodiment, data for a specific automobile accident event can beanalyzed and compared to similar type of automobile accident event datain order to forensically analyze the specific event and determine thecause of the accident. Advantageously, information about thecircumstances surrounding the event is captured during the event toprovide an analyst with objective information about the event as it tookplace. For example, specific information may include (but are notlimited to) the GPS location of the vehicle, the G-forces acting on thevehicle, the speed and direction of the vehicle, operation or status ofvehicle systems such as lights or brakes or engine, and audio and videodata from the vehicle during the automobile accident.

Other features and advantages of the present invention will become morereadily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art after reviewingthe following detailed description and accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The details of the present invention, both as to its structure andoperation, may be gleaned in part by study of the accompanying drawings,in which like reference numerals refer to like parts, and in which:

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an example event detector incontrol of a plurality of event capture devices deployed in a vehicleaccording to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating an example event detectoraccording to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating an example event according to anembodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4A is a block diagram illustrating an example event traveling froman event detector to an evaluation server according to an embodiment ofthe present invention;

FIGS. 4B-4D are network diagrams illustrating example routes for anevent traveling from an event detector to an evaluation server accordingto various embodiments of the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a network diagram illustrating an example system for reducingdriving risk according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 6 is a network diagram illustrating an example route for a group ofevents traveling from an evaluation server to an analysis stationaccording to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 7 is a network diagram illustrating an example route for a coachingsession and an event report traveling from an analysis station to anevaluation sever according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 8 is a network diagram illustrating an example route for a coachingsession and an event report traveling from an evaluation sever to acoaching station and a supervisor station according to an embodiment ofthe present invention;

FIG. 9 is a block diagram illustrating an example evaluation serveraccording to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 10 is a block diagram illustrating an example hindsight moduleaccording to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 11 is a block diagram illustrating an example administrative moduleaccording to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 12 is a flow diagram illustrating an example process for forensicanalysis of a vehicle accident according to an embodiment of the presentinvention;

FIG. 13 is a block diagram illustrating an example wirelesscommunication device that may be used in connection with variousembodiments described herein; and

FIG. 14 is a block diagram illustrating an example computer system thatmay be used in connection with various embodiments described herein.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Certain embodiments as disclosed herein provide for systems and methodsfor reducing driving risk that capture driving events and provide thoseevents to an evaluation server where the events are analyzed andreported to management and also compiled into coaching sessions forindividuals or groups of drivers to receive in order to demonstrate tothem how to avoid risky behaviors while driving. For example, one methodas disclosed herein allows for an event capture device to capture anevent and send the event via a communication network to an evaluationserver. The evaluation server allows an analyst to review the raw eventdata and create a coaching session directed toward future avoidance ofthe risky behavior that caused the event. Additionally, the evaluationserver compiles reports regarding the events for particular drivers orgroups of drivers. The reports are then provided to management by theevaluation server and the coaching sessions are provided to theindividual drivers or groups of drivers to improve their futureavoidance of risky driving behaviors.

After reading this description it will become apparent to one skilled inthe art how to implement the invention in various alternativeembodiments and alternative applications. However, although variousembodiments of the present invention will be described herein, it isunderstood that these embodiments are presented by way of example only,and not limitation. As such, this detailed description of variousalternative embodiments should not be construed to limit the scope orbreadth of the present invention as set forth in the appended claims.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an example event detector 30 incontrol of a plurality of event capture devices 20 deployed in a vehicle10 according to an embodiment of the present invention. In theillustrated embodiment, the event detector 30 is integrated with thevehicle 10 and is communicatively coupled with the event capture devices20. The event detector 30 is also configured with data storage 35.

The event detector 30 can be any of a variety of types of computingdevices with the ability to execute programmed instructions, receiveinput from various sensors, and communicate with one or more internal orexternal event capture devices 20 and other external devices (notshown). An example general purpose computing device that may be employedas all or a portion of an event detector 30 is later described withrespect to FIG. 17. An example general purpose wireless communicationdevice that may be employed as all or a portion of an event detector 30is later described with respect to FIG. 16.

When the event detector 30 identifies an event, the event detector 30instructs the one or more event capture devices 20 to record pre-eventdata, during the event data, and post-event data that is then providedto the event detector 30 and stored in the data storage area 35. Eventsmay comprise a variety of situations, including automobile accidents,reckless driving, rough driving, or any other type of stationary ormoving occurrence that the owner of a vehicle 10 may desire to knowabout.

The vehicle 10 may have a plurality of event capture devices placed invarious locations around the vehicle 10. An event capture device 20 maycomprise a video camera, still camera, microphone, and other types ofdata capture devices. For example, an event capture device 20 mayinclude an accelerometer that senses changes in speed or direction.Additional sensors and/or data capture devices may also be incorporatedinto an event capture device 20 in order to provide a rich set ofinformation about a detected event.

The data storage area 35 can be any sort of internal or external, fixedor removable memory device and may include both persistent and volatilememories. The function of the data storage area 35 is to maintain datafor long term storage and also to provide efficient and fast access toinstructions for applications or modules that are executed by the eventcapture device 30.

In one embodiment, event detector 30 in combination with the one or moreevent capture devices 20 identifies an event and stores certain audioand video data along with related information about the event. Forexample, related information may include the speed of the vehicle whenthe event occurred, the direction the vehicle was traveling, thelocation of the vehicle (e.g., from a global positioning system (“GPS”)sensor), and other information from sensors located in and around thevehicle or from the vehicle itself (e.g., from a data bus integral tothe vehicle such as an on board diagnostic (“OBD”) vehicle bus). Thiscombination of audio, video, and other data is compiled into an eventthat can be stored in data storage 35 onboard the vehicle for laterdelivery to an evaluation server.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating an example event detector 30according to an embodiment of the present invention. In the illustratedembodiment, the event detector 30 comprises an audio/video (“AV”) module100, a sensor module 110, a communication module 120, and a controlmodule 130. Additional modules may also be employed to carry out thevarious functions of the event detector 30, as will be understood bythose having skill in the art.

The AV module 100 is configured to manage the audio and video input fromone or more event capture devices and storage of the audio and videoinput. The sensor module 110 is configured to manage one or more sensorsthat can be integral to the event detector 20 or external from the eventdetector 20. For example, an accelerometer may be integral to the eventdetector 20 or it may be located elsewhere in the vehicle. The sensormodule 110 may also manage other types of sensor devices such as a GPSsensor, temperature sensor, moisture sensor, or the like (all notshown).

The communication module 120 is configured to manage communicationsbetween the event detector 20 and other devices and modules. Forexample, the communication module 120 may handle communications betweenthe event detector 20 and the various event capture devices. Thecommunication module 120 may also handle communications between theevent detector 20 and a memory device, a docking station, or a serversuch as an evaluation server. The communication module 120 is configuredto communicate with these various types of devices and other types ofdevices via a direct wire link (e.g., USB cable, firewire cable), adirect wireless link (e.g., infrared, Bluetooth, ZigBee), or a wired orany wireless network link such as a local area network (“LAN”), a widearea network (“WAN”), a wireless wide area network (“WWAN”), an IEEE 802wireless network such as an IEEE 802.16 (“WiFi”) network, a WiMAXnetwork, satellite network, or a cellular network.

The control module 130 is configured to control the actions or remotedevices such as the one or more event capture devices. For example, thecontrol module 130 may be configured to instruct the event capturedevices to capture an event and return the data to the event detectorwhen it is informed by the sensor module 110 that certain triggercriteria have been met that identify an event.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating an example event 150 according toan embodiment of the present invention. In the illustrated embodiment,the event 150 comprises audio data 150, video data 160, and metadata180. The audio data 150 can be collected from inside the vehicle,outside the vehicle, and may include information from an internalvehicle bus about the baseline noise level of the operating vehicle, ifsuch information is available. Additional information about baselinenoise level, radio noise level, conversation noise level, or externalnoise level may also be included in audio data 160.

Video data 170 may include still images or moving video captured by oneor more cameras in various locations in and around the vehicle. Videodata 170 may include images or video from inside the vehicle, outsidethe vehicle, or both. In one particularly advantageous embodiment, stillimages and moving video that illustrate the entire area inside thevehicle and the entire 360 degree area surrounding the vehicle arecaptured by a plurality of image capture devices and included in videodata 170.

Metadata 180 may include a variety of additional information that isavailable to the event detector 30 at the time of an event. Suchadditional data may include, but is not limited to, the velocity anddirection of the vehicle, the GPS location of the vehicle, elevation,time, temperature, and vehicle engine and electrical componentinformation, status of vehicle lights and signals, brake operation andposition, throttle position, etc. captured from an internal vehicle bus,just to name a few. Additional information may also be included such asthe number of occupants in the vehicle, whether seatbelts were fastened,whether airbags deployed, whether evasive maneuvering was attempted asdetermined by the route of the vehicle prior to the event. The specificidentification of the driver may also be included, for example as readby the event detector from a radio frequency identification (“RFID”)badge worn by the driver or integrated with a vehicle key assigned tothe driver. As will be understood by those skilled in the art, metadata180 may include an extremely rich variety of information limited only bythe scope and type of information obtained prior to, during, and afteran event.

FIG. 4A is a block diagram illustrating an example event 150 travelingfrom an event detector 30 to an evaluation server 50 according to anembodiment of the present invention. In one embodiment, events such asevent 150 are captured by an event detector 30 and stored locally untilthey are provided to the evaluation server 50. The means by which anevent 150 can be provided to the evaluation server 50 can vary. Invarious embodiments (or in a single embodiment), an event 150 may beprovided from event detector 30 to evaluation server 50 by way of aportable media device, a direct wire link, a direct wireless link, anindirect wire link, an indirect wireless link, or any combination ofthese. Event 150 may be secured by encryption of the event 150 datastructure and/or a secure channel between the event detector 30 and theevaluation server 50.

For example, a portable media device may include a USB drive, compactdisc, thumb drive, media card, or other similar type of device. A directwire link may include a USB cable, a firewire cable, an RS-232 cable, orthe like. A direct wireless link may include an infrared link, aBluetooth link, ZigBee link, or an IEEE 802.11 point-to-point link, aWiMAX link, or a cellular link, just to name a few. An indirect wiredlink may include a packet switched or circuit switched networkconnection configured for conveyance of data traffic. An Ethernetnetwork connection is an example of a packet switched indirect wiredlink and a dial up modem connection is an example of a circuit switchedindirect wired link, both of which may be configured for conveyance ofdata traffic.

The following FIGS. 4B-4D illustrate various embodiments for providingevents to an evaluation server.

FIG. 4B is a network diagram illustrating an example route for an event150 traveling from an event detector 30 to an evaluation server 50according to an embodiment of the present invention. In the illustratedembodiment, the event 150 travels over a network 70 from the eventdetector 30 to the evaluation server 50. The network 70 may comprise anyof a variety of network types and topologies and any combination of suchtypes and topologies. For example, the network 70 may comprise aplurality of networks including private, public, circuit switched,packet switched, personal area networks (“PAN”), local area networks(“LAN”), wide area networks (“WAN”), metropolitan area networks (“MAN”),satellite network, or any combination of the these. Network 70 may alsoinclude that particular combination of networks ubiquitously known asthe Internet.

FIG. 4C is a network diagram illustrating an example route for an event150 traveling from an event detector 30 to an evaluation server 50according to an embodiment of the present invention. In the illustratedembodiment, the event 150 travels to a wireless network 72 by way of anaccess point 210 and then on to the evaluation server 50 via thewireless network 72. The access point 210 may provide access via manydifferent wireless network protocols as will be well understood by thosehaving skill in the art. The wireless network 72 may be a WWAN or a WiFinetwork. The link between the event detector 30 and the access point 210may be a short range direct link or a wide range direct link. The accesspoint 210 may be a large radio tower device or a small in-home wirelessappliance. The wireless network 72 may include over the air segments andalso wired segments. For example, the last mile segments of wirelessnetwork 72 may be over the air while internal and back end segments maybe wired segments. In one embodiment, the wireless network 72 mayprovide a wireless interface to the event detector 30 and then have awired interface on the back end to the Internet, which in turn connectsthe evaluation server 50.

FIG. 4D is a network diagram illustrating an example route for an event150 traveling from an event detector 30 to an evaluation server 50according to an embodiment of the present invention. In the illustratedembodiment, a docking station 200 is disposed between the event detectorand the network 74. In such an embodiment, an event 150 may be providedfrom the event detector 30 to the docking station 200 via a variety ofmeans as described above, including portable media, direct wired orwireless link, and indirect wired or wireless link. The event detector30 may also be physically coupled with the docking station 200 to conveythe event 150 from the event detector 30 to the docking station 200.Once the event 150 is received by the docking station 200, the event isthen sent over the network 74 to the evaluation server 50. In theillustrated embodiment, the network 74 may be a wired or wirelessnetwork or a combination of the two. The network 74 may also be privateor public in whole or in part and may also include the Internet.

FIG. 5 is a network diagram illustrating an example system for driverimprovement according to an embodiment of the present invention. In theillustrated embodiment, the system includes an event detector 30, acoaching station 40, a supervisor station 42, an evaluation server 50,and an analysis station 60, each coupled with a data storage area 35,45, 47, 55, and 65, respectively. Additional event detectors 30,coaching stations 40, supervisor stations 42, evaluation servers 50, andanalysis stations 60 may also be included.

The function of the event detector 30 is to identify and capture aplurality of events and send a data structure representing the audio,video, and other data related to the event to the evaluation server 50.The evaluation server maintains the captured events and provides them tothe analysis station 60 where the events are reviewed. The analysisstation 60 may be configured with certain hardware and software modulesthat allow an operator to review event data (e.g., audio, video, andmetadata) in order to make an analysis related to the event and createsummary reports and the like.

After an event is reviewed, it may be discarded, incorporated into acoaching session, flagged for follow up, flagged for inclusion in one ormore reports, or otherwise maintained for later coaching, reporting, oranalysis. In one embodiment, certain portions of one or more events maybe incorporated into a report or a coaching session and then sent backto the evaluation server 50 for storage.

The coaching station 40 is configured to play coaching sessions to aparticular driver in order to educate the driver about his or her riskydriving behavior and suggest alternative driving techniques that thedriver may employ to reduce such risky behavior. The coaching station 40can access coaching sessions from the evaluation server 50 via thenetwork 76 to view the coaching session. The supervisor station 42 isconfigured to allow executives, managers, and supervisors to accessreports on the evaluation server over network 76 and view coachingsessions and reports regarding driver behavior. In one embodiment, aconventional web browser utility can be used at either the coachingstation 40 or the supervisor station 42 to view both reports andcoaching stations, thereby making either device a coaching station or asupervisor station based on the type of information that is accessedfrom the evaluation server.

FIG. 6 is a network diagram illustrating an example route for a group ofevents 152 traveling from an evaluation server to an analysis stationaccording to an embodiment of the present invention. In the illustratedembodiment, the group of events 152 is provided by the evaluation server50 to the analysis station 60 via the network 76. On the evaluationserver, the group of events 152 may be identified by searching for allevents that pertain to a particular driver. This may be accomplished byassociating each event at the time it is captured with a particulardriver. For example, the driver of a vehicle may have a uniqueidentifier and that unique identifier may be included as part of themetadata for each event that is captured while that driver is operatingthe vehicle. In one embodiment, the driver identifier may be obtained bythe event detector by reading an infrared identification device, perhapsincorporated into the driver's identification badge or by receiving theidentifier as input when the driver begins the shift, or by reading theidentifier from a media card or other wired or wireless deviceassociated with the driver.

Groups of events 152 may also be identified by all events associatedwith a particular company, a particular shift, a particular supervisor,or other reporting structure or working structure combinations. Such agroup of events 152, once provided to the analysis station 60 can thenbe analyzed by an operator that reviews each event to identify thoseevents that need to be reported or shown to the driver, for example aspart of a coaching station.

FIG. 7 is a network diagram illustrating an example route for a coachingsession 200 and an event report 210 traveling from an analysis station60 to an evaluation sever 50 according to an embodiment of the presentinvention. In the illustrated embodiment, an operator at the analysisstation 60 may create a coaching session 200 that is made up of all or aportion of a plurality of events (audio, video, and metadata). Thecoaching session 200 may also include notes/comments from an operatorwho analyzed the event data or notes/comments from a supervisor ormanager or executive. Such a coaching session 200 may be directed to anindividual driver, a shift of drivers, or other classes of drivers forwhich the session may be beneficial (e.g., night time drivers, truckdrivers, drivers of vehicles with trailers, etc.). The coaching sessionmay also be directed to supervisors or managers or executives.

Additionally, the operator may also create a report 210 that is made upof summary information about all notable events. A notable event may becharacterized as any event that the vehicle owner wants to know about.In one embodiment, there can be certain variable criteria that eachvehicle owner can set in order to determine the risk level for eventsthat are compiled into a report 210. Additionally, a report 210 may becreated that includes information about all captured events, whether theevent reflects a pothole or an automobile accident.

As shown in the illustrated embodiment, one or more coaching sessions200 and reports 210 can be provided from the analysis station 60 to theevaluation server 50. These coaching sessions and reports can then bemaintained at the evaluation server 50 for later viewing by executives,managers, supervisors, drivers, and the like. Such reports 210 andcoaching sessions 200 can also be compiled onto a portable media such asa CD for viewing by new employees during orientation sessions.

FIG. 8 is a network diagram illustrating an example route for a coachingsession 200 and an event report 210 traveling from an evaluation sever50 to a coaching station 40 and a supervisor station 42 according to anembodiment of the present invention. In the illustrated embodiment, thecoaching session 200 and report 210 travel to one or more coachingstations 40 and supervisor stations 42 over network 76. Although asshown the report 210 goes to the supervisor station 42 and the coachingsession 200 goes to the coaching station 40, reports and coachingsessions can be sent to any remote device for review. In one embodiment,a conventional web browser utility can be used at a remote station toview both reports and coaching stations, thereby making the device botha coaching station and a supervisor station based on the type ofinformation that is accessed from the evaluation server.

FIG. 9 is a block diagram illustrating an example evaluation server 50according to an embodiment of the present invention. In the illustratedembodiment, the evaluation server 50 comprises a foresight module 250, ahindsight module 260, an insight module 270, and an administrativemodule 280.

The foresight module 250 is configured to monitor individual driverbehavior and objectively score that behavior. The driver score isprovided to executives and managers who can use that information to makeinformed decisions about behavior modification to eliminate or reducerisky behavior of an individual driver. Advantageously, reducing oreliminating risky behavior of a fleet of drivers may have a significanteffect on the cost of insurance for the owner of the fleet of vehiclesbeing driven.

The hindsight module 260 is configured to capture and store event datarelated to accidents, crashes, and other serious driving events in orderto document for use by law enforcement in forensic analysis andinsurance companies in coverage disputes. Advantageously, the capturedevent information provides a purely objective reconstruction of whathappened prior to, during, and after an event.

The insight module 270 is configured to aggregate event data into adatabase of driving events and correlate information in the database toidentify trends in driving behavior that relate to risk factors. Forexample, information about the vehicle and its various components, thedriver and occupants, the driving conditions, the driving environment,and other useful data can be employed. The insight module 270 isadditionally configured to correlate cause and effect relationshipsbetween data points and determine the effect of those relationships upondriver safety. The insight module 270 additionally compares thesecorrelations and driver safety trends with historical event informationfor individual drivers to provide a driver rating or driver score for anindividual driver. The driver score can be used by insurance companiesto establish individualized insurance rates.

FIG. 10 is a block diagram illustrating an example hindsight moduleaccording to an embodiment of the present invention. In the illustratedembodiment, the hindsight module 260 comprises a key element module 350,a correlation module 360, a factor module 370, a reporting module 380,and an other module 390.

The element module 350 is configured to identify particular elements inone or more events that comprise a vehicle accident. For example, anelement may include the temperature or other weather related conditions(e.g., if it was raining), the number of vehicle occupants, roadconditions (icy, wet, unpaved), traffic conditions (heavy, light),driving conditions (traffic light, stop sign, yield sign, one waystreet, divided highway, merging traffic, etc.), vehicle status (speed,accelerating, decelerating), interior noise level, and the like.Advantageously, discrete data points related to one or more eventscomprising a vehicle accident can each be an element.

The element module is configured to identify such elements from the oneor more events that comprise a vehicle accident. This can beaccomplished by reviewing metadata, the audio playback, and the videoplayback for the one or more events. The review can be conducted by anoperator or by automated computer analysis. For example, the decibellevel on the audio track can be analyzed by computer to determine thesound level inside the vehicle at certain times during the one or moreevents. Similarly, computer analysis of metadata fields can providetemperature information, vehicle status information (e.g., speed), andother information collected from an OBD vehicle bus without operatorintervention. Similarly, the video track can be analyzed for indicatorsthat point to elements of the vehicle accident, for example, significantcolor changes from frame to frame over large portions of the frame mayindicate a rapid change in direction of the vehicle. Advantageously,other computer facilitated analyses of the audio, video, and metadatainformation related to the one or more events can be performed withoutan operator. Additionally, elements can also be identified by anoperator reviewing the one or more events that comprise a vehicleaccident.

The correlation module 360 is configured to manage a data storage areaof historical correlations and identify causation and/or contributorycorrelations between elements and vehicle accidents. Advantageously,correlation module 360 is configured to automatically review vehicleaccident event data and elements identified by the element module 350 onan ongoing basis to further identify and refine causal and contributorycorrelations between one or more elements or combinations of elementsand accidents.

For example, the correlation module 360 may receive a group of elementsfrom the element module 350 and analyze those elements to determine thatthe ice on the road caused the vehicle to crash. In one embodiment, thecorrelation module 360 analyzes each of the elements identified from oneor more events of a vehicle accident and compares those elements tocausal and contributory correlations stored in a data storage areaaccessible to the correlation module, e.g., in the data storage area ofthe evaluation server. By making such comparisons and identifying theelements that are present, the correlation module 360 can categorize theelements related to the vehicle accident, for example, those elementsthat are possibly causal and those elements that are possiblecontributory.

The factor module 370 is configured to receive information from theelement module 350 and the correlation module 360 and identify thoseelements that are the likely factors that caused or contributed to thecause of the vehicle accident. For example, the element module 350 mayidentify certain elements related to an accident such as icy roadconditions and vehicle speed within the posted speed limit. Thecorrelation module 360 may categorize the ice road conditions aspossibly causal and categorize normal vehicle speed as unrelated. Thefactor module 370 may review the information from the element module 350and the correlation module 360 and determine that the speed of thevehicle was the likely factor that caused the vehicle accident becausethe speed was too great under the specific conditions of the road.

Advantageously, the factor module 370 may also maintain a data storagearea of historical factors that are continuously refined and updated sothat future factor comparisons and judgments made by computer analysiscan be more accurate.

Reporting module 330 is configured to compile reports based onindividual and aggregate event data. Reports may be compiled for anindividual driver, a particular shift, all day time drivers, all nighttime drivers, all twilight drivers (morning and evening), all drivers ofparticular vehicle types, and other groupings. These reports can beprovided to supervisors, managers, and executives. The reports may alsobe provided to the individual drivers, for example, a report of theindividual driver's events for the previous month, a report of aparticularly significant individual event, etc. Advantageously, reportscan be included as part of a coaching session to provide the viewer withconcise summary data about the events in the coaching session.

In one embodiment, reports can be targeted for drivers, supervisors,managers, executives, public relations (e.g., reporters/press),insurance companies, government agencies, legal authorities, legalrepresentatives and the like. The reports may be used for a variety ofpurposes, including supplemental coaching of drivers to emphasize thebenefits of reducing risky driving behavior.

Additional functionality may also be included in the hindsight module260, as indicated by the other module 390. The other module 390 may beconfigured to perform a variety of tasks, including but not limited to:scoring driver behavior before during and after the accident,identifying the presence of additional passengers in the vehicle,integration and assimilation of accident event data into a common datastorage area; and mining of accident event data from the data storagearea, just to name a few.

FIG. 11 is a block diagram illustrating an example administrative module280 according to an embodiment of the present invention. In theillustrated embodiment, the administrative module 280 comprises acommunication module 450, an event detector module 460, a databasemodule 470, and an other module 480.

In one embodiment, the communication module 450 is configured to managecommunications between the evaluation server 50 and the various stationsand event detectors that are part of the system for reducing drivingrisk. For example, the communication module 450 may managecommunications with individual event detectors, analysis stations,coaching stations, supervisor stations, docking stations, and the like.

Additionally, communication module 450 may also manage communicationsbetween the various modules of the evaluation server 50. For example,communications between the foresight, hindsight, and insight modules maybe managed by communication module 450. The communication module 450 isconfigured to manage wireless and wired communications and send andreceive communications over a wired or wireless network.

The communication module 450 is configured to send and receivecommunications to and from an event detector device, either directly orindirectly. For example, communications with an event detector devicemay take place through a docking station or a server that aggregatesevent data from multiple event detector devices before sending the eventdata to the evaluation server.

The event detector module 460 is configured to manage individual andgroups of event detectors. In one embodiment, the event detector module460 may manage software versions that are resident on individual eventdetector devices so that the overall system may be kept up to date withrespect to the versions of software deployed in the field.

Event detector module 460 may also track the individual event detectorsthat have provided event data or otherwise reported back to theevaluation server during a given time period. For example, eventdetector module 460 may track those event detectors that have reportedin during each day and provide summary reports so that managers andsupervisors can determine if event data from each vehicle in use isbeing sent to the evaluation server. In one embodiment, the eventdetector module 460 may attempt to contact an individual event detectorin order to determine the status of the event detector. Advantageously,the evaluation server can determine the efficacy of the overall systemby periodic confirmation of the status of each event detector. If theevent detector module 460 determines that a particular event detector isnot working properly, then that event detector may be identified asneeding service or replacement.

Database module 470 is configured to manage a database of informationrelated to reducing driving risk. For example, event data, coachingsessions, and reports can be maintained in a data storage area bydatabase module 470. Additionally, related information from sourcesother than event detectors and analysis stations may also be managed bythe database module 470. For example, weather information can beobtained from third party sources and stored to provide objectiveinformation about the weather conditions during a particular event.Additional information may also include traffic congestion informationand smog/visibility information. Other beneficial information may alsobe included and managed by database module 470.

Additional functionality may also be included in the administrativemodule 280, as indicated by the other module 480. The other module 480may be configured to perform a variety of tasks, including but notlimited to: obtaining related information (e.g., road conditions,traffic conditions, weather, etc.), providing reports about eventdetector status, and tracking overall system performance andfacilitating system maintenance when appropriate.

FIG. 12 is a flow diagram illustrating an example process for forensicanalysis of a vehicle accident according to an embodiment of the presentinvention. The illustrated process may be carried out by a hindsightmodule on an evaluation server previously described with respect to FIG.9 and included in a system such as that previously described withrespect to FIG. 5. The forensic analysis may also be carried out on ananalysis station such as that described in the system of FIG. 5.

Initially, in step 500 the system obtains event data related to avehicle accident. The event data may comprise one or more discreteevents captured by an event detector in a vehicle, with each eventcomprising audio, video, and metadata from one or more event capturedevices. The event data may be obtained from a data storage area or froma companion application residing on a remote server across a network.The event data may also be obtained directly from one or more eventdetectors. In one embodiment, the event data may include events fromeach vehicle involved in the accidents and other vehicles that were nearthe accident scene and captured information relevant to the event.

Once the event data has been obtained, in step 510 the event data isreviewed. The review may include computerized analysis of audio data,video data, and metadata. The review may also include operator analysisof audio data, video data, and metadata. The review may also include acombination of computerized and operator analysis. In one embodiment,the computerized analysis proceeds automatically and an operator reviewsthe results of the computerized analysis. Alternatively, the operatormay only review certain elements that are flagged by the computerizedanalysis as potentially benefiting from further operator analysis.

Next, in step 520 event elements are identified. The elements may befrom one or more events and may be identified by an operator review orby computerized review. In one embodiment, elements include individualdata points that are included in the event data, for example, theweather conditions, speed of the vehicle, location of the vehicle,operational status of the vehicle, etc. Elements may also include audioand video elements. Advantageously, a plurality of elements can beidentified by a combination of computerized analysis and operatoranalysis.

Once the elements have been identified, in step 530 those elements arecorrelated with historical information about vehicle accidents. Forexample, the same or similar elements can be analyzed from a historicalperspective to determine the likelihood that a particular element was acontributing factor to the vehicle accident or the cause of the vehicleaccident. In one embodiment, a database of elements is maintained suchthat each element includes one or more relative weights that describehow often the particular element is the cause of an accident or acontributing factor to an accident. Relationships between elements mayalso be tracked historically so that, for example, the presence of afirst element in combination with a second element may indicate a causeof a vehicle accident 90% of the time.

Accordingly, in step 540 the particular factors that may have caused thevehicle accident and those that may have contributed to the vehicleaccident are determined. In one embodiment, these factors are determinedby ranking the relative correlations between identified elementssingularly and also in the presence of others. After the factors havebeen determined, in step 550 the system advantageously updates the datastorage area that contains historical element, correlation, and factordata. This allows later forensic analyses to benefit from the aggregatehistorical data about the various elements, correlations, and factors.

Next, in step 560 the system can generate a forensic analysis reportthat details all of the information collected and analyzed anddetermined about the vehicle accident. In one embodiment, the report maybe a multimedia document that includes audio, video, and other data thatsteps through (under computer control) the vehicle accident and playsaudio and video data and displays critical information to provide anobjective reconstruction of the vehicle accident and highlight thevarious factors that may be causal or contributory. Advantageously, sucha report may be later used by an insurance company, a legal team or thelike to convey information about the accident.

FIG. 13 is a block diagram illustrating an exemplary wirelesscommunication device 650 that may be used in connection with the variousembodiments described herein. For example, the wireless communicationdevice 650 may be used in conjunction with an event detector previouslydescribed with respect to FIG. 1, or an evaluation server, analysisstation, coaching station, or supervisor station previously describedwith respect to FIG. 2. However, other wireless communication devicesand/or architectures may also be used, as will be clear to those skilledin the art.

In the illustrated embodiment, wireless communication device 650comprises an antenna 652, a multiplexor 654, a low noise amplifier(“LNA”) 656, a power amplifier (“PA”) 658, a modulation circuit 660, abaseband processor 662, a speaker 664, a microphone 666, a centralprocessing unit (“CPU”) 668, a data storage area 670, and a hardwareinterface 672. In the wireless communication device 650, radio frequency(“RF”) signals are transmitted and received by antenna 652. Multiplexor654 acts as a switch, coupling antenna 652 between the transmit andreceive signal paths. In the receive path, received RF signals arecoupled from a multiplexor 654 to LNA 656. LNA 656 amplifies thereceived RF signal and couples the amplified signal to a demodulationportion of the modulation circuit 660.

Typically modulation circuit 660 will combine a demodulator andmodulator in one integrated circuit (“IC”). The demodulator andmodulator can also be separate components. The demodulator strips awaythe RF carrier signal leaving a base-band receive audio signal, which issent from the demodulator output to the base-band processor 662.

If the base-band receive audio signal contains audio information, thenbase-band processor 662 decodes the signal and converts it to an analogsignal. Then the signal is amplified and sent to the speaker 664. Thebase-band processor 662 also receives analog audio signals from themicrophone 666. These analog audio signals are converted to digitalsignals and encoded by the base-band processor 662. The base-bandprocessor 662 also codes the digital signals for transmission andgenerates a base-band transmit audio signal that is routed to themodulator portion of modulation circuit 660. The modulator mixes thebase-band transmit audio signal with an RF carrier signal generating anRF transmit signal that is routed to the power amplifier 658. The poweramplifier 658 amplifies the RF transmit signal and routes it to themultiplexor 654 where the signal is switched to the antenna port fortransmission by antenna 652.

The baseband processor 662 is also communicatively coupled with thecentral processing unit 668. The central processing unit 668 has accessto a data storage area 670. The central processing unit 668 ispreferably configured to execute instructions (i.e., computer programsor software) that can be stored in the data storage area 670. Computerprograms can also be received from the baseband processor 662 and storedin the data storage area 670 or executed upon receipt. Such computerprograms, when executed, enable the wireless communication device 650 toperform the various functions of the present invention as previouslydescribed.

In this description, the term “computer readable medium” is used torefer to any media used to provide executable instructions (e.g.,software and computer programs) to the wireless communication device 650for execution by the central processing unit 668. Examples of thesemedia include the data storage area 670, microphone 666 (via thebaseband processor 662), antenna 652 (also via the baseband processor662), and hardware interface 672. These computer readable mediums aremeans for providing executable code, programming instructions, andsoftware to the wireless communication device 650. The executable code,programming instructions, and software, when executed by the centralprocessing unit 668, preferably cause the central processing unit 668 toperform the inventive features and functions previously describedherein.

The central processing unit is also preferably configured to receivenotifications from the hardware interface 672 when new devices aredetected by the hardware interface. Hardware interface 672 can be acombination electromechanical detector with controlling software thatcommunicates with the CPU 668 and interacts with new devices.

FIG. 14 is a block diagram illustrating an exemplary computer system 750that may be used in connection with the various embodiments describedherein. For example, the computer system 750 may be used in conjunctionwith an event detector previously described with respect to FIG. 1, oran evaluation server, analysis station, coaching station, or supervisorstation previously described with respect to FIG. 2. However, othercomputer systems and/or architectures may be used, as will be clear tothose skilled in the art.

The computer system 750 preferably includes one or more processors, suchas processor 752. Additional processors may be provided, such as anauxiliary processor to manage input/output, an auxiliary processor toperform floating point mathematical operations, a special-purposemicroprocessor having an architecture suitable for fast execution ofsignal processing algorithms (e.g., digital signal processor), a slaveprocessor subordinate to the main processing system (e.g., back-endprocessor), an additional microprocessor or controller for dual ormultiple processor systems, or a coprocessor. Such auxiliary processorsmay be discrete processors or may be integrated with the processor 752.

The processor 752 is preferably connected to a communication bus 754.The communication bus 754 may include a data channel for facilitatinginformation transfer between storage and other peripheral components ofthe computer system 750. The communication bus 754 further may provide aset of signals used for communication with the processor 752, includinga data bus, address bus, and control bus (not shown). The communicationbus 754 may comprise any standard or non-standard bus architecture suchas, for example, bus architectures compliant with industry standardarchitecture (“ISA”), extended industry standard architecture (“EISA”),Micro Channel Architecture (“MCA”), peripheral component interconnect(“PCI”) local bus, mini PCI express, or standards promulgated by theInstitute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (“IEEE”) includingIEEE 488 general-purpose interface bus (“GPIB”), IEEE 696/S-100, and thelike.

Computer system 750 preferably includes a main memory 756 and may alsoinclude a secondary memory 758. The main memory 756 provides storage ofinstructions and data for programs executing on the processor 752. Themain memory 756 is typically semiconductor-based memory such as dynamicrandom access memory (“DRAM”) and/or static random access memory(“SRAM”). Other semiconductor-based memory types include, for example,synchronous dynamic random access memory (“SDRAM”), Rambus dynamicrandom access memory (“RDRAM”), ferroelectric random access memory(“FRAM”), and the like, including read only memory (“ROM”).

The secondary memory 758 may optionally include a hard disk drive 760and/or a removable storage drive 762, for example a floppy disk drive, amagnetic tape drive, a compact disc (“CD”) drive, a digital versatiledisc (“DVD”) drive, etc. The removable storage drive 762 reads fromand/or writes to a removable storage medium 764 in a well-known manner.Removable storage medium 764 may be, for example, a floppy disk,magnetic tape, CD, DVD, memory stick, USB memory device, etc.

The removable storage medium 764 is preferably a computer readablemedium having stored thereon computer executable code (i.e., software)and/or data. The computer software or data stored on the removablestorage medium 764 is read into the computer system 750 as electricalcommunication signals 778.

In alternative embodiments, secondary memory 758 may include othersimilar means for allowing computer programs or other data orinstructions to be loaded into the computer system 750. Such means mayinclude, for example, an external storage medium 772 and an interface770. Examples of external storage medium 772 may include an externalhard disk drive or an external optical drive, or and externalmagneto-optical drive.

Other examples of secondary memory 758 may include semiconductor-basedmemory such as programmable read-only memory (“PROM”), erasableprogrammable read-only memory (“EPROM”), electrically erasable read-onlymemory (“EEPROM”), or flash memory. Also included are any otherremovable storage units 772 and interfaces 770, which allow software anddata to be transferred from the removable storage unit 772 to thecomputer system 750.

Computer system 750 may also include a communication interface 774. Thecommunication interface 774 allows software and data to be transferredbetween computer system 750 and external devices (e.g. printers),networks, or information sources. For example, computer software orexecutable code may be transferred to computer system 750 from a networkserver via communication interface 774. Examples of communicationinterface 774 include a modem, a network interface card (“NIC”), acommunications port, a PCMCIA slot and card, an infrared interface, andan IEEE 1394 fire-wire, just to name a few.

Communication interface 774 preferably implements industry promulgatedprotocol standards, such as Ethernet IEEE 802 standards, Fiber Channel,digital subscriber line (“DSL”), asynchronous digital subscriber line(“ADSL”), frame relay, asynchronous transfer mode (“ATM”), integrateddigital services network (“ISDN”), personal communications services(“PCS”), transmission control protocol/Internet protocol (“TCP/IP”),serial line Internet protocol/point to point protocol (“SLIP/PPP”), andso on, but may also implement customized or non-standard interfaceprotocols as well.

Software and data transferred via communication interface 774 aregenerally in the form of electrical communication signals 778. Thesesignals 778 are preferably provided to communication interface 774 via acommunication channel 776. Communication channel 776 carries signals 778and can be implemented using a variety of wired or wirelesscommunication means including wire or cable, fiber optics, conventionalphone line, cellular phone link, wireless data communication link, radiofrequency (RF) link, or infrared link, just to name a few.

Computer executable code (i.e., computer programs or software) is storedin the main memory 756 and/or the secondary memory 758. Computerprograms can also be received via communication interface 774 and storedin the main memory 756 and/or the secondary memory 758. Such computerprograms, when executed, enable the computer system 750 to perform thevarious functions of the present invention as previously described.

In this description, the term “computer readable medium” is used torefer to any media used to provide computer executable code (e.g.,software and computer programs) to the computer system 750. Examples ofthese media include main memory 756, secondary memory 758 (includinghard disk drive 760, removable storage medium 764, and external storagemedium 772), and any peripheral device communicatively coupled withcommunication interface 774 (including a network information server orother network device). These computer readable mediums are means forproviding executable code, programming instructions, and software to thecomputer system 750.

In an embodiment that is implemented using software, the software may bestored on a computer readable medium and loaded into computer system 750by way of removable storage drive 762, interface 770, or communicationinterface 774. In such an embodiment, the software is loaded into thecomputer system 750 in the form of electrical communication signals 778.The software, when executed by the processor 752, preferably causes theprocessor 752 to perform the inventive features and functions previouslydescribed herein.

Various embodiments may also be implemented primarily in hardware using,for example, components such as application specific integrated circuits(“ASICs”), or field programmable gate arrays (“FPGAs”). Implementationof a hardware state machine capable of performing the functionsdescribed herein will also be apparent to those skilled in the relevantart. Various embodiments may also be implemented using a combination ofboth hardware and software.

Furthermore, those of skill in the art will appreciate that the variousillustrative logical blocks, modules, circuits, and method stepsdescribed in connection with the above described figures and theembodiments disclosed herein can often be implemented as electronichardware, computer software, or combinations of both. To clearlyillustrate this interchangeability of hardware and software, variousillustrative components, blocks, modules, circuits, and steps have beendescribed above generally in terms of their functionality. Whether suchfunctionality is implemented as hardware or software depends upon theparticular application and design constraints imposed on the overallsystem. Skilled persons can implement the described functionality invarying ways for each particular application, but such implementationdecisions should not be interpreted as causing a departure from thescope of the invention. In addition, the grouping of functions within amodule, block, circuit or step is for ease of description. Specificfunctions or steps can be moved from one module, block or circuit toanother without departing from the invention.

Moreover, the various illustrative logical blocks, modules, and methodsdescribed in connection with the embodiments disclosed herein can beimplemented or performed with a general purpose processor, a digitalsignal processor (“DSP”), an ASIC, FPGA or other programmable logicdevice, discrete gate or transistor logic, discrete hardware components,or any combination thereof designed to perform the functions describedherein. A general-purpose processor can be a microprocessor, but in thealternative, the processor can be any processor, controller,microcontroller, or state machine. A processor can also be implementedas a combination of computing devices, for example, a combination of aDSP and a microprocessor, a plurality of microprocessors, one or moremicroprocessors in conjunction with a DSP core, or any other suchconfiguration.

Additionally, the steps of a method or algorithm described in connectionwith the embodiments disclosed herein can be embodied directly inhardware, in a software module executed by a processor, or in acombination of the two. A software module can reside in RAM memory,flash memory, ROM memory, EPROM memory, EEPROM memory, registers, harddisk, a removable disk, a CD-ROM, or any other form of storage mediumincluding a network storage medium. An exemplary storage medium can becoupled to the processor such the processor can read information from,and write information to, the storage medium. In the alternative, thestorage medium can be integral to the processor. The processor and thestorage medium can also reside in an ASIC.

The above description of the disclosed embodiments is provided to enableany person skilled in the art to make or use the invention. Variousmodifications to these embodiments will be readily apparent to thoseskilled in the art, and the generic principles described herein can beapplied to other embodiments without departing from the spirit or scopeof the invention. Thus, it is to be understood that the description anddrawings presented herein represent a presently preferred embodiment ofthe invention and are therefore representative of the subject matterwhich is broadly contemplated by the present invention. It is furtherunderstood that the scope of the present invention fully encompassesother embodiments that may become obvious to those skilled in the artand that the scope of the present invention is accordingly limited bynothing other than the appended claims.

1. (canceled)
 2. A method for forensic analysis of a vehicle accident,comprising: capturing a driving event at an event capture device coupledwith a vehicle, the driving event associated with a vehicle accident andcomprising video data from before and during the vehicle accident;providing the driving event to an evaluation server; analyzing thedriving event to determine one or more key elements related to thevehicle accident; determining one or more factors that contributed to acause of the vehicle accident; providing the one or more factors to theevaluation server; and generating a report identifying one or morefactors that contributed to the cause of the vehicle accident; andproviding a coaching session to a driver or a group of drivers to avoidthe one or more factors that contributed to the cause of the vehicleaccident.
 3. The method of claim 2, wherein the determining of the oneor more factors further comprises: correlating the one or more keyelements with causation data stored at the evaluation server; andidentifying key elements with the highest correlation for causing thevehicle accident.
 4. The method of claim 2, wherein the determining ofthe one or more factors further comprises: correlating the one or morefactors with causation data stored at the evaluation server; andidentifying factors with the highest correlation for causing the vehicleaccident.
 5. The method of claim 2, wherein the providing of the one ormore factors further comprises updating causation data in a data storagearea to reflect the one or more key elements.
 6. The method of claim 2,wherein the providing of the one or more factors further comprisesupdating causation data in a data storage area to reflect the one ormore factors.
 7. A system for forensic analysis of a vehicle accident,comprising: an event detector coupled with a vehicle, the event detectorconfigured to capture a driving event associated with a vehicleaccident, the driving event captured in response to a trigger andcomprising audio, video, and metadata information; a communication linkconfigured to convey the driving event from the event detector to anevaluation server; an evaluation server comprising an element module, acorrelation module, and a factor module, said modules configured toanalyze the audio, video, and metadata information to identity a causeof the vehicle accident; and a coaching module to provide a coachingsession to a driver or a group of drivers to avoid one or more factorsthat contributed to the cause of the vehicle accident.
 8. The system ofclaim 7, wherein the communication link is a wired network.
 9. Thesystem of claim 8, wherein the wired network comprises a privatenetwork.
 10. The system of claim 8, wherein the wired network comprisesa public network.
 11. The system of claim 7, wherein the communicationlink is a wireless network.
 12. The system of claim 11, wherein thewireless network comprises a ZigBee link.
 13. The system of claim 11,wherein the wireless network comprises a Bluetooth link.